The Menlo Park Design District is a community of 19 businesses that have banded together to make Downtown Menlo Park the prime destination for arts and home decor in the Peninsula. Founded in 2022, the Design District offers a variety of home design services, including art framing, home appliances, and interior design.
“There are a lot of design-related businesses here in downtown, and we wanted to come together as a group to promote ourselves,” Design District President Keith Quiggins said. Quiggins also owns Rococo & Taupe, a kitchen and bath showroom.
The Design District offers services for each phase of the design process, whether that is planning a home remodel, customizing floors and windows, or putting the finishing touches on a space with furniture and decor. “The one thing that people often have a hard time understanding, and we’re trying to get across, is that we have so many things from start to finish,” Elisa Spurlin said. Spurlin is Treasurer of the Design District and sells fine art and custom frames through her business, Peabody Gallery.
The group also aims to keep business local. “We’ve all positioned ourselves to be here in Menlo Park for a very specific reason. Atherton does not have a downtown and neither does Portola Valley or Woodside. They all come here,” Quiggins said. Through its website, social media, and monthly events, the Design District works to promote downtown Menlo Park as a center for design.
On the first Thursday of each month, members of the Design District host events on a variety of topics, ranging from countertops to color theory. Events are open to the public, allowing community members to learn from design experts and giving businesses a way to engage with their customers. “Hunter Douglas did one on color theory, we’ve done one on painting. The Main Gallery just had one last week on photography. It just depends, which keeps it fresh and interesting for people,” Spurlin said.
The Design District also sponsors the Menlo Park Wine Walk, an annual event that benefits the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation and brought out 400 attendees in 2024. They are experimenting with creative ways to reach new audiences and recently piloted a spring cleaning sale, where businesses can sell their excess product at a discounted rate. “I’d like to think that every year people could think, ‘Oh, can’t wait for that Menlo Park Design District spring cleaning sale,’” Quiggins said.
Beyond community outreach, the Design District fosters collaboration among Menlo Park business owners. “It’s good networking between the different businesses. For example, I use Menlo Flooring for hardwood flooring projects for clients,” Quiggins said. “We try to keep the business, if we can, in downtown.”
“As busy business owners, we don’t tend to get out and explore our own little world. So for me, it was very nice to be able to connect with fellow business owners in the area and help support them,” Spurlin added.
